


Basil, Thyme, and Calendula

by Nebula5030



Series: Merwaine Oneshots [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Brief bandit attack, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Gwaine Knows, M/M, Medicine, Mention of blood, Mild Concussion, Mild Injury, Yeah the tags look bad but this is just some fluff I promise lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 07:30:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15881436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebula5030/pseuds/Nebula5030
Summary: Merlin gets injured during a bandit attack- Gwaine takes care of him.





	Basil, Thyme, and Calendula

The bandits had come upon them suddenly and without warning.

It was to be expected sometimes, while out on these patrols, but as Gwaine fought another and heard Arthur doing the same at his back, he merely found himself annoyed.

Couldn’t they have just _one_ normal patrol for once? Just _one?_

But, despite the sudden ambush (and the fact that Elyan and Percival had gone off to fetch supplies, leaving their numbers nearly halved) the bandits were easily defeated- many felled in the brief fight, and any survivors fleeing into the night.

Arthur and Gwaine stood, panting heavily, and adrenaline still racing despite the danger being over.

But then as Gwaine looked around, a feeling of dread sunk into him. “Where’s Merlin?” he breathed, glancing around wildly. The mop of dark hair was nowhere to be seen, though he’d been positive Merlin had been there at the beginning of the fight.

If his heart had been racing before, it was nothing compared to what it was doing now.

Arthur’s eyes widened, and he turned in a circle. “ _Merlin!”_ he called, and even Gwaine could hear the fear in his voice.

 _“_ _Merlin!”_ Gwaine shouted, fighting the rising panic in him.

Gwaine heard rustling, and turned to see Merlin stumbling into the clearing, one had held to his head and expression in a pained grimace.

Gwaine let out a sigh of relief. _“Merlin,”_ he breathed, running over to his love. Without even thinking about it, he had his arms around Merlin and was embracing him in a tight hug. “Don’t disappear like that!” he scolded gently. “You scared the Christ out of me.”

“Sorry,” Merlin responded, sounding strained. Gwaine noticed and took a step back, and inhaled sharply at the traces of blood running their way through the fingers of the hand Merlin was holding to his head.

“Merlin…” Gwaine started, gently taking a hold of Merlin’s hand and moving it away to see. A cut, a couple inches long, was up near his hairline, blood lightly running down his forehead. It didn’t look _bad,_ but it still made Gwaine’s stomach clench when he saw it. Merlin swayed slightly, and put a hand to Gwaine’s shoulder to steady himself, all while looking dazed.

Arthur, who Gwaine hadn’t even noticed was right next to them until now, gently moved Merlin’s bangs to get a better look at the wound. “How’d you manage this?” he asked.

Merlin grimaced. “Slipped. Hit my head on something,” he said, voice slurring slightly.

“In the middle of a bandit attack?” Arthur responded incredulously. He scoffed in amusement. “Honestly, Merlin, it’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

Merlin smirked wryly through his grimace, but said nothing.

Arthur looked him over. “Gwaine and I are fine-” he glanced at Gwaine for confirmation, and Gwaine nodded. Arthur turned back to Merlin- “Do you have any other injuries?”

Merlin shook his head, tenderly putting his hand back to his injury.

A relieved smile came over Arthur’s face, and he clasped a hand to Merlin’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re alright. But we need to see to that cut. Do you have supplies to treat it?”

Merlin nodded once, letting out a slightly pained groan. “In my bag,” he said.

Arthur turned to go and grab the bag, and Gwaine helped Merlin walk into the clearing, Merlin swaying and still slightly disoriented from his head injury.

Gwaine helped Merlin sit himself down on a log, and Arthur came over with Merlin’s supplies in hand. “Now, what do you need?” Arthur asked, opening the bag so Merlin could reach into it.

Merlin compressed his lips and began sorting through the vials contained within. He pulled one out and set it aside, before reaching back in and grabbing a cloth and a waterskin.

Arthur glanced around, expression still wary. “I’ll keep watch. Gwaine, can you help him?”

“Yes, sire,” Gwaine responded, taking the cloth and waterskin from Merlin’s hands as Arthur took a couple steps away, surveying the surroundings. When Gwaine spoke again, it was to Merlin, “Clean it first?”

Merlin nodded, eyes still shut. Gwaine wet the cloth and started to clean the cut from the surrounding blood and dirt, and Merlin let out a slight pained hiss at the touch.

Gwaine inhaled through his teeth. “Sorry, love” he whispered. Merlin grunted slightly in response.

After pat drying the wound, he grabbed the vial Merlin had chosen and uncorked it, and the smell of herbs wafted out, giving the air a slightly sweet scent.

Just as he was about to take some out, Merlin murmured, “Wait.”

He put his hand on top, and his eyes opened slightly. Gwaine saw gold flash through Merlin’s lashes briefly before Merlin nodded and took his hand back, eyes shutting once more.

“What’s in this then?” Gwaine asked, trying to distract Merlin from the pain as he began to apply the poultice.

Merlin thought for a second. “Basil,” he said eventually. Another pause, before he said, “Thyme, and… calendula.”

Gwaine nodded. Still trying to keep the mood light, he asked, “… can you eat it?”

Merlin opened his eyes and gave Gwaine an incredulous but amused look. “… I _suppose._ Don’t know how it’d taste, though.”

Gwaine looked at the vial curiously after finishing with Merlin’s cut, and stuck his pinky in before giving it an exploratory lick. He immediately recoiled with a grimace, and let out a disgusted gagging noise. Merlin openly laughed at his expression, and Gwaine wiped the back of his hand over his mouth after spitting out the poultice, scowling at where it had landed in the dirt.

“I hope that teaches you not to eat our medicine, Gwaine,” Arthur said from where he was standing. “We may need that, you know.”

“Spoilsport,” Merlin responded. “I was going to offer him the leeches next.”

Gwaine wiped his hands off on the cloth that he’d used to clean Merlin’s head while chuckling slightly. “Don’t think I’d go for that, appetizing as it sounds,” Gwaine responded, but with a grin all the same- his mood considerably lifted at seeing Merlin smile.

 

“You’re lucky, Merlin,” Gaius said just after he’d finished examining his pupil the next afternoon, after the patrol had returned to the citadel. “That blow to your head could have been much worse.”

“How bad is it?” Gwaine, who had helped Merlin to the physician’s ward and had sat patiently next to his love while Gaius conducted his examination, asked.

“A mild concussion, nothing more. Tell Arthur to go easy on him for the next couple months, but other than that he should be fine.”

Merlin snorted as Gaius stood up to put his kit away. “‘A couple months,’ he’ll be nice to me for two days and then it’ll be back to pelting me with drinking cups.”

“Well, Merlin, just know that if he pelts you with one while I’m around, he’ll sorely regret it,” Gwaine said, patting Merlin on the thigh.

Merlin gave Gwaine an incredulous look. “Are you offering to beat him up for me?”

“I was thinking throwing the cup back at him, but if you want me to beat him up I’ll do it.”

“Gwaine, I don’t think threatening to ‘beat up’ the king is something a knight should be doing,” Gaius scolded, but he sounded amused.

Gwaine only laughed at this. “If he didn’t want me beating him up, he wouldn’t ask to spar me all the time during training!”

“Hmmm, perhaps,” Gaius said, raising an amused eyebrow, “But just know that I won’t tell Arthur to go easy on _you_ if he gives you a concussion.”

**Author's Note:**

> I used Rosemary Gladstar's _Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide_ for reference.
> 
> Basil- Fights infection (and itching from bug bites! Fun fact)  
> Thyme- Fights infection  
> Calendula- Also fights infection and promotes healing wounds and cell repair.


End file.
